The horror movies coming out of Hollywood tend to be remakes and sequels.  Those who enjoy the slick and fancy Hollywood features tend to shout back at nay-sayers saying Indie films are cheap and unwatchable. Both sides are in the right from time to time, but then there are Indie filmmakers who defy the odds and really pull together a good looking project. So, then: how good are the horror films coming out of Kansas?

Horror filmmaker Patrick Rea was cool enough to do an interview with me about horror movies and the movies being made by SenoReality particularly. If you have ever seen one of their many short horror films you have probably noticed that they aren’t just hashed together crap, but fluid pieces of entertainment. SenoReality is based out of the state of Kansas and with their odds defying style are helping keep the heart of Indie horror pumping and thumping in the dark.

Be sure to check out their main website, where you can find the information to view many of their short horror films; on sites such as Youtube. Or where you can buy some of their works that are out there in the world of DVD.

www.senoreality.com

Now, the interview:

TERRORTUBE: Your Website states that Senoreality is Patrick Rea, Ryan S. Jones, and Josh Robinson: so who does what?

“My primary focus has been on directing the films, as well as writing a lot of them.  I also do the producing when it comes to getting everything set for the shoot, hiring crew, etc.  Josh Robison is our primary editor.  Ryan Jones focuses a lot of his energy into the sound work, on and off set.  He also does the graphics work.  It’s a really great work-flow between the three of us.”

TERROR: SenoReality what’s the name stand for?

“Ryan Jones and I came up with title in college when we met at film school at the University of Kansas.  It’s kinda strange actually.  Seno is Jones spelled backwards without the “J” and “Rea” is in Reality.  So, when you say it, the title sounds like See No Reality, which fits our films rather well.”

TT: Do you prefer short films or will you be trying to do more and more feature films?

“We completed one feature film in 2006, “The Empty Acre” which was released this last year on DVD from Cinema Epoch.  We are currently prepping another feature, “Nail Biter”.  The reason we do a lot of shorts, is that we currently have funding to do so.  Plus it allows us to experiment with new techniques and equipment.”

TT: Will you only be making horror movies or branch out?

“I really want to do some dramatic work, as well as science fiction.  Horror is a great genre, and will always be my favorite though.  However, I don’t want to do horror forever.  I imagine that something “horrific” will always happen in the films we make, even if we somehow made a romantic comedy.”

TT: Can you fill us in on what is happening with Nailbiter?

“Right now, we are still in pre-production stages.  We thought we were set to go in late 2007, but circumstances changed, forcing us to delay.  The film is definitely weather related, dealing with tornadoes.  So, because it was winter, we made a couple new short films, since they were financed and ready to go.  We are hoping to shoot “Nail Biter” this summer, but it all depends on the financing at this point.  The classic indie-filmmaking scenario of waiting on the money.”

TT: What are the pros and cons of being based in Kansas?

“Haha.  There are a lot on both sides.  The pros are that people out here are always willing to help, because filmmaking is still pretty fresh to everyone out here.  People are willing to let us use locations with greater ease, because they want to help with making a movie.  It has also gotten us a lot of attention because we are from Kansas.  When we attend festivals, there will be films from LA, New York, and then our films from Kansas and people notice that.

The cons still have to do with being taken seriously because we are from Kansas.  A lot of people are skeptical that a film industry can grow in Kansas.  I believe it will take time.  Austin didn’t happen overnight, and I’m sure there were a lot of people who were unsure of whether it would become one of the biggest filmmaking cities in the country.”

TT: Do you have a favorite out of the SenoReality productions? Why?

“I have something I love about all of them, but I would have to say that it’s a tie between “Woman’s Intuition” and “Merriman’s Circle.”  Both short films are dramatically different from each other.  “Woman’s Intuition” is a crowd pleaser when it plays at festivals.  Rarely do people see the ending coming.  “Merriman’s Circle” is a dark, depressing, and beautiful short film about death.  It’s not people’s favorite short, but it’s my personal favorite because of its atmosphere.”

TT: Does SenoReality do any sort of consulting for people interested in finding someone to make their own idea for a film? Or do you hire out your services?

“I’m always willing to help other filmmakers with advice.  As for hiring our service, it all depends on whether we are doing a project at the time we are approached.  We recently completed a new short film titled “Paint Shaker” which was written by a friend of ours, who approached us to make it.” 

TT: You have a short called Torture Porn: what are your thoughts on that label and the films that have been given it?

“Well, I am a little tired of the torture porn genre in the sense that a lot of films have been made with just torture and no plot.  I actually enjoyed “Hostel” and even the “Saw” series.  There are just a lot of films that are coming out that don’t have anything but torture.  The big one for me was “Captivity” which didn’t have a story.  I thought that we needed to make a short satire of the genre before “torture porn” faded away.  It was funny, when I would tell people that we were making a short film called “Torture Porn”, I would get the weirdest reactions.  The term is being used so much that I couldn’t think of a better title.  However in some places, the short is called “Torture Made Easy”.  Our films play on public access stations in Omaha, Lincoln and on Video On Demand in Lawrence.  I had no choice but to have an alternate title ready.”

TT: Comedy and horror: go hand in hand or strange bed fellows?

“I think they can go hand in hand.  A lot of the time, people find themselves laughing more watching horror films.  When it’s intentional, that’s a good thing and when it’s unintentional, it can also be a good thing.  Some of my favorite memories come from renting really obscure low-budget horror movies that are filled with unintentional humor.  Blending the comedy and horror genre can work amazingly well.  “Shawn of the Dead” is the best example in recent memory.  I also found parts of “Severance” to be hilarious.  There are also films where the humor takes away from the horror.  It’s a tough balance and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

TT: Which is more important in a horror movie: acting or special effects?

“Acting always comes first in my mind.  I’ve seen a lot of films with great acting and bad special effects that I thought worked.  If the actor can make you believe in what’s happening, then that can make a film work.  I’ve seen a lot more films with great special effects and bad acting and have walked away unsatisfied.”

TT: What are some of your influences when it comes to filmmaking?

“It’s a real big mixture of films by Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter.  I don’t think any filmmaker my age can really say they weren’t affected by films like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” or “Jaws”.  However, the earlier films of Carpenter have always influenced me.  Films like “Halloween” “Escape from New York” and “The Thing” have been big inspirations.”

TT: What are some helpful resources for budding filmmakers to access or get involved with, or do you have any advice for such people?

“I always tell first time filmmakers to just do it.  Just go make movies.  Find someone who has a camera and make it happen.  There are a lot of mental blocks that people make that prevent them from making a film.  It really comes down to “will power.”  I also tell people that they need to have a story idea that’s fresh and memorable.  With today’s technology it’s easy to think that just because you have a camera you can make a movie, but it still comes down to having a good script.”

- Wes Laurie